Reader Questions #2

Q: Did you have all have the ending of the third book thought up when you started book one? Or did the ending come later?

When I first started The Shifter there was no third book planned, so technically no, I didn't know the ending. -grin- It was supposed to be one single book, and I did know the ending to that. It was vague, more of a "she beats the bad guys and saves the day" type ending, but I had enough of an idea of where it was going to sit down and write it. But about halfway through the first draft I could see a larger story developing and where I could take Nya in future books. I could make this a trilogy and show that larger story. By the time I was done with book one, I knew basically how book three had to end, but no details on how that would happen.

I have a better idea now since I'm a few chapters into book three at the moment, but I still don't know exactly what Nya's going to do. I have that general idea of what she needs to do, but she surprises me all the time in how she decides to do things.

And is Kione going to join the rest of the gang in book 2? and is Lanelle going to be in the other books?

Kione isn't in book two, though you will see him again in book three. Lanelle makes a brief appearance in two, and will be back in book three as well.

Reader Questions #1

Q: How have you approached outlining your series? In other words did you give it directions early on OR have you let it find its own way?

Good timing on this question since I've been blogging all about this on the other blog. But for those who don't need that much info, I'm a light outliner. I like to have a solid structure for the major events of the story to give me direction, but then I like to let the story itself happen organically. I like to say I always know where I'm going, but rarely how I'll get there.

I did not have the entire series outlined from the start. I didn't even have more than a general idea of books two and three until I needed more detail for my agent. She had to give potential editors a synopsis of those books when she was submitting the novel. I did a two-page synopsis for book two, and a half page synopsis for book three.

I knew the bare bones for books two and three, but until I wrote the books, I didn't know how those key pieces would play out. For example, I know "Nya defeats the bad guy" but no clue how. Or "Nya uncovers the truth about X" and I just point her at the guy keeping the secret until she finds it.

Connections always show up as I write and my subconscious does a pretty good job and putting things together. I also uncover things as I write, then have to go back and put in the groundwork for it. (which is actually a post planned next week on the writing blog).

I find it's a lot easier to have a firm understand of my characters and their goals (and motives) and then putting them in a situation and seeing what they do. They always come up with more interesting things that what I think up.

So yep, you were right, there is a balance of the two.